And a lot of the blowback that Commissioner Williams faced is because of the police's very poor track record in the village - similar to the one it has in many communities. But, Santa Familia seemed to us a little worse - and that could be because it is a frontier village - so close to Guatemala - and cheap contraband beer can be gotten quite easily.
So, drinking may be factoring into the police bad reputation there. But, it seems that everywhere we turned - someone had a bad story to share about police. In fact, even that very same Sunday, a very reliable, very sober witness told us that the police constable who led the operation outside the store had pulled a gun on him
Like we said, many, many stories of abuse - and, through tears, one mother told Commissioner Williams that she feared for her son's life:
Resident, Santa Familia
"I was on my bed when I heard two shot gone that same week and I just feel something on my heart and I said I wonder who it is and the next day I find out that they turn the gun to my son and he's only 21 years, imagine what would happen and my only son, I don't have no more son and they threaten my son to death also, they told my won if he say something they're going to kill him and that's why I am talking as a mother because I am frustrated, I am tired, enough is enough, I love my country Mr Chester and I believe in my country and I still don't stop believing that my country is a democratic country but it is turning to a hell and I don't know what to do Mr Chester. I can't sleep, all night when my son come out, I call him, I tell my son to come home because something could happen to him and that night they shit at my son, two fire gun and one to him and they miss him. The other day I heard it was my son and I told my son why don't you go and report it and my son said mom I told the police that they were drunk, the three of them, and they pointed the gun on me, they grabbed one of his friends, they dragged him way to the cemetery and they give him a good beating, they do that young bwai. And they left him right there unconscious, just imagine what could have happened to those guys there, it was not only going to be one, it was going to be three of them. And we cannot support that, we cannot agree with that, you have to do a difference, the government has to do a difference. The people will get tired and when the people get tired, they going to buy their guns and civil is going to turn, I am pleading the prime minister to do something, people are getting tired, enough is enough."
